Happy Gilmore 2 spoilers follow.
Adam Sandler has detailed the “painful change” that was made to the original script of Happy Gilmore 2.
The upcoming Netflix film, a sequel to the iconic 1996 comedy, sees Sandler return as the titular golfer. Now a five-time Tour Championship winner, Happy prepares to make a big comeback to the sport after years away from the putting green.
The film will feature a host of familiar faces from its predecessor, with Ben Stiller, Christopher McDonald and Julie Bowen reprising their respective roles as Hal L, Shooter McGavin and Virginia Venit.
However, the late Carl Weathers won’t be returning as Happy’s mentor Chubbs Peterson, with the actor having passed away at the age of 76 in February 2024.
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In an interview with Collider, Sandler shared how Weathers’s death majorly affected the plot of the upcoming film, leading to difficult creative decisions behind the scenes.
“We had a painful change. Carl Weathers had a massive part. I would talk to Carl, and we were excited, and then Carl passed away,” said Sandler, who confirmed that the deceased Chubbs would have returned via Happy’s dreams.
“In the first version that we came up with, he [Chubbs] had a son. He was coming back to me a lot in my dreams, and he had a son who was mad at Happy for causing the death of daddy,” Sandler recalled.
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The actor, who also co-wrote and produced the film, explained how they still managed to pay tribute to their colleague within the sequel by rewriting the script.
“We had to rewrite a lot of the stuff, and even what the story was,” he said. “We made a lot of nice references to how great Chubbs was in the movie. That was the biggest change.”
Happy Gilmore 2 is released on Netflix on 25 July.
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Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a “telly addict” since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined Digital Spy as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including Metro, Asian World News and TwitCelebGossip; as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV, film and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From soaps to superheroes, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations and up to date information. Â